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Friday, November 22, 2013

I was sitting at the dining room table yesterday and working on my grocery list for Thanksgiving: one bag of cranberries, five pounds of potatoes, three onions, eight ounces of sausage for stuffing... I checked my list against my menu several times, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Then it struck me: I didn't have any groceries to make meals for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I mean, we all know I love cereal, but I don't think three days of it is going to fly.

With most of our food prep energy being channeled to turkey day, it's time for easy meals. Enter the homemade Sloppy Joe. Ground beef or turkey is coated with a sweet and tangy sauce that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy. Piled high on soft rolls and topped with crunchy coleslaw, it's filling and delicious comfort food. The best part? This recipe doubles beautifully so you can have dinner for Monday and Tuesday!

And on Wednesday? Order pizza.

Sloppy Joes

Adapted from Real Simple

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey, ground beef, or a combination

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

8 ounces tomato sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (You could use a bit less brown sugar, if you want.)

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

4 hamburger buns

Crunchy Coleslaw (recipe below)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Cook ground meat and onion until the meat is browned and cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Stir in tomato sauce, dark brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on buns topped with coleslaw.